[Carollan]

I am easily confused ,put it down to my age or what you will,but I don`t understand this marigold companion planting.There seem to be several varieties and not just any old marigold will do will it?

Does anyone know a good website i can trawl though to make sure i use the best marigold type for the companion planting i want.

Or am I making a mountain out of a molehill?

[Paul Plots]

I have a feeling that it is the pong that is important.... it puts the nasty little critters off the scent of things you'd sooner they missed.

So... I'd go for anything that is cheap to buy as seeds (common and plenty), easy to raise from seed and something you like the look of.

I plonk in any spares left over after planting up my garden, my parents garden and an elderly neighbours.

I just bet someone goes all scientific on us and makes it complicato!! 

[mumofstig]

I think it's the 'foreign' ones that work, I always use the ones called tagetes in the greenhouse and they're smelly and pretty
like these

[Willie_Eckerslike]

I planted african marigolds under my greenhouse toms and sweet peppers this year and they certainly did keep the whitefly out. They will be a regular feature from now on. 

[Paul Plots]

I think it's the 'foreign' ones that work, I always use the ones called tagetes in the greenhouse and they're smelly and pretty
like these

That's the ones I use too! 

[New shoot]

You can use different marigolds for companion planting depending on what you want to use them for.

English or pot marigolds sold as Calendula can be used as companion planting to attract blackfly away from your crops.  They are hardy annuals which can be sown direct in spring and self seed to come back every year. They are pretty and attract polinators and I have these outside on the plot.

Tagetes are half-hardy annuals, so need to be sown each year inside and planted out once all risk of frost has passed.  These have a strong smell and can be used to deter whitefly, but as everyone says also very pretty.  I usually have a pot or two in the greenhouse each summer 

[Paul Plots]

I knew somebody would be all scientific. 

Thanks New shoot... better than my "plonk them in and hope" 

[New shoot]

I knew somebody would be all scientific. 

   You wouldn't say that if you saw my plot 

[sarajane]

I think it's the 'foreign' ones that work, I always use the ones called tagetes in the greenhouse and they're smelly and pretty
like these

That's the ones I use too!  

Me too.  Think they are slightly stronger smelling